Half of the four entrances to Yosemite National Park will likely remain closed until at least mid-June.

Not only is the extensive snowpack expected to keep the opening of the entrance at Tioga Pass at 9,945 feet delayed until at least that time, but collateral damage from heavy winter snow has undermined a section of Highway 120 that passes through the national park.

A crack, at least 200 feet long and as deep as four feet in spots, has developed in the roadway inside just the park’s northern entrance on Highway 120.

 The road surface has moved two to three inches vertically and horizontally and is continuing to move.

The embankment below the road has moved as much as 15 feet downslope and has significant water flow through it.

The park service noted It is not safe to open the road even to limited traffic, and doing so would likely lead to additional road failure .

“We are working with the Federal Highway Administration to start repairs as soon as possible,” the park service stated.
Highway 120 through Yosemite National Park becomes Big Oak Flat Road and then Tioga Road when the route turns toward the high country.

The portion of the route through Yosemite is under the control of National Park Service and the federal government’s responsibility to maintain.

Upwards of 4 million people visit Yosemite each year with the northern entrance on Highway 120 the second heaviest for the number of entries.

The closure will impact dozens of Tuolumne County businesses that rely on Yosemite visitor traffic in the summer including several lodges just outside the northern entrance.

Visitors entering Yosemite via Highway 120 can reach Hodgdon Meadow and Hetch Hetchy by turning on Evergreen Road about a half mile before the northern entrance.

There is a separate entrance station for the Hetch Hetchy area.

In order to access Yosemite Valley and the areas around Big Oak Flat, the closest area from the Northern San Valley is now El Portal Road (Highway 140) via Merced or Wawona Road (Highway 41) from the south.

 As of May 1, the snowpack was 253 percent of average on the Tuolumne River watershed and 271 percent of average on the Merced River watershed.

Highway 120 — that stretches 152 miles from Interstate 5 in Lathrop to Route 6 in Benton — is now closed in three places.

Besides the damaged section near the park’s entrance as well as Tioga Pass’ snowpack expected to take at least six weeks if not more to clear, the section from Mono Lake just east of Highway 396 to Benton is closed by snow as well.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com